SKINFOOD Black Sugar Perfect Essential Scrub 2X for dry sensitive skin
Black Sugar Extract
Jojoba Oil
Macadamia Oil
Carica Papaya Extract
Shea ButterSuperior
- HighDry Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
One of the best products for dry sensitive skin.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry sensitive skin: flakiness, tightness, redness, fine lines, and wrinkles. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers excellent exfoliation for your dry and sensitive skin, as sucrose and black sugar extract provide physical exfoliation while glycerin offers gentle hydration. Macadamia ternifolia seed oil, shea butter, and olive oil fruit provide emollient action and barrier repair, highly suitable for dry skin.
- The inclusion of various fruit extracts like lemon and apple further aids in gentle skin renewal and brightening.
- The product is safe for your skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients, posing no risk of irritation.
How to apply
- Use your exfoliant PM once a week to help with dryness. Start ⏳3 times a week only if your sensitive skin tolerates it well.
- Apply the exfoliant after cleansing and toning, but always before your favorite moisturizer .
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliant into your skin and avoid any rubbing. Let it absorb ⏱ for a minute before layering.
- Since your skin is reactive and sensitive, apply the exfoliant on completely dry skin for better tolerance.
- Always do a patch test before your first use and avoid the delicate eye area .
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 400+ reviewsUsers report this scrub effectively removes dead skin cells and refines texture, leaving skin soft and polished. It is praised for its moisturizing finish, but those with sensitive or acne-prone skin should be cautious as the sugar granules can be abrasive if not properly dissolved.
Highlights
Leaves skin smooth Mostly Mentioned
- “Skin feels incredibly smooth and soft”
- “Texture becomes instantly refined”
- “Leaves my skin feeling smooth afterwards”
- “Face feels very clean and soft”
Effective exfoliation Often Mentioned
- “Dead skin cells melt away”
- “Removes impurities gently”
- “Great option for a physical exfoliant”
- “Slough off makeup and excessive oil”
Non-drying Often Mentioned
- “Hydration lasts for quite a while”
- “Leaves skin super soft without irritation”
- “Skin feels moisturized and rejuvenated”
- “Does not dry out the skin”
Pleasant scent Sometimes Noted
- “Smells like lemon sugar”
- “Scent is subtle and pleasant”
- “Smells delicious”
- “Sweet and has hints of citrus”
Too abrasive Sometimes Noted
- “Particles felt too harsh on my skin”
- “Can end up with irritation”
- “Turned a bit red from scrubbing”
- “Rough to start scrubbing right away”
Hard to spread Rarely Noted
- “Quite hard to spread across skin”
- “Texture is very thick”
- “Need to mix with water”
- “Not much liquid holding granules together”
Messy packaging Rarely Noted
- “Not a fan of the jar packaging”
- “Wish the packaging had a squeeze tube”
- “Annoying to clean up”
- “Leaves a grainy residue behind”
Scent too strong Rarely Noted
- “Smell is so luxurious... but strong”
- “Ants start crawling if forgot to close”
- “Wish it had a bit more sugar scent”
Sources: lovi.care, iherb.com, yesstyle.com, tryandreview.com, hwahae.co.kr, amazon.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Skinfood Black Sugar Perfect Essential Scrub 2X one of the best fits for dry sensitive skin?
This scrub works well for dry sensitive skin because black sugar and sucrose gently remove dead skin while glycerin adds moisture. Oils like macadamia and shea butter help repair and smooth your dry skin barrier without causing irritation.
Which ingredients make this exfoliant a good fit for dry sensitive skin?
Sucrose and black sugar extract provide physical exfoliation while glycerin helps keep your skin hydrated. Additionally, macadamia oil, shea butter, and olive oil help soften the skin and repair its protective barrier, making this scrub a great match for dry and sensitive skin.
What does Black Sugar Extract do for dry sensitive skin?
Black Sugar Extract helps draw moisture into dry sensitive skin, but elevated sugar levels can sometimes slow down skin barrier recovery and worsen irritation. Because this type of skin needs gentle ingredients that restore hydration without impairing the barrier, products used here should include soothing agents and mild moisturizers.
What does Jojoba Oil do for dry sensitive skin?
Jojoba oil helps soothe dry sensitive skin by calming irritation and strengthening the skin barrier to lock in moisture. It is unlikely to cause irritation and may help improve overall hydration and softness. This skin type needs plant oils that repair the barrier and provide soothing, anti-inflammatory benefits.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2022International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2017
Where does this exfoliant go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?
This exfoliant treatment goes in your evening routine once a week after cleansing and toning, followed by your moisturizer. People who tolerate it well and see good results may carefully use it more often.
Can I use this exfoliant with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this exfoliant with retinol by using them on alternate nights to avoid irritation on dry, sensitive skin. Using them together on the same night may be too harsh and cause redness or peeling.
How often should I use this exfoliant?
Start by using this exfoliant once a week, and if your skin feels good and tolerates it well, you may carefully use it more often. It helps smooth dry skin while keeping your skin calm and safe from irritation.
Can this exfoliant clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?
This exfoliant is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for dry sensitive skin. Its nourishing oils and butters help keep the skin soft and smooth without causing irritation.
Is this exfoliant fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Nanoemulsions containing Macadamia integrifolia seed oil successfully enhanced skin hydration and reduced wrinkles in human volunteers, outperforming conventional emulsions in skin hydration enhancement.
Nanomaterials, 2024The combination of sucrose dilaurate and sucrose laurate suppressed HMGB1 release, melanin production, melanocyte dendricity, and melanosome transfer in vitro, and reduced the appearance of facial spots compared to vehicle in an 8-week human use test.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2022Sucrose ester in an ibuprofen hydrogel increased skin hydration and ibuprofen penetration more intensely than a gel without sucrose ester without causing greater alterations in the stratum corneum structure in hairless mice.
Pharmaceutical Development and Technology, 2012Topical application of the nonsugar fraction of brown sugar prevented chronic UVB-induced skin thickness increases, elasticity loss, wrinkles, pigmentation, and vascular changes in melanin-possessing hairless mice, which may be mediated by inhibiting MMP-2 and VEGF expression.
Journal of Natural Medicines, 2009Clay jojoba oil facial masks reduced total skin lesions by a mean of 54% after 6 weeks in 133 participants with acne-prone, lesioned skin and mild acne compared to baseline.
Forschende Komplementarmedizin, 2012Topical application of jojoba wax reduced LPS-induced secretion of IL-6, IL-8, and TNFα by approximately 30% and increased the synthesis of pro-collagen III and hyaluronic acid compared to untreated skin in an ex-vivo human skin organ culture model.
Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2024Topical jojoba oil application in male mice decreased exercise-induced pro-inflammatory gene expression (Il-1b and Il-6 in soleus, Il-1b in gastrocnemius) compared to untreated exercised mice.
Biomolecules, 2025Topical papain treatment may slightly decrease pain within 30 minutes in humans stung by Chrysaora chinensis compared to placebo.
Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, 2016A fixed combination of hydroxypinacolone retinoate, retinol glycospheres, and papain glycospheres in aqueous gel applied once daily for 12 weeks achieved a 41% mean reduction in GAGS score and a 40.8% mean reduction in total lesions, with 15.3% of patients experiencing mild to moderate local side effects, in 94 evaluable patients with comedonal-papular, mild to moderate acne of the face.
Giornale Italiano Di Dermatologia E Venereologia, 2015Reflux extraction of Carica papaya leaves yielded higher antioxidant capacity and superior in vitro wound-healing activities including fibroblast proliferation, cell migration, and collagen synthesis in human skin fibroblasts compared to ultrasonic-assisted extraction and agitation.
Molecules, 2020A combination cream of stimu-tex AS and saccharide isomerate reduced erythema, increased skin capacitance, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to placebo in 20 subjects after fractional CO2 laser procedure without causing serious adverse events.
Lasers in Medical Science, 2025A skin barrier restoring cream with shea butter, silkflo, and vitamin E increased type I procollagen synthesis, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, decreased reactive oxygen species generation, and promoted hyaluronic acid production in H2O2-stimulated human keratinocyte cells compared to untreated cells.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2025
Ingredients
Sucrose, Glycerin, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Candelilla Wax, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Lanolin, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter, Water, Sorbitan Laurate, Caramel, Ethylhexylglycerin, Butylene Glycol, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Olea Europaea Oil Fruit Olive Oil Fruit, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Jojoba Seed Oil, Black Sugar Extract, Rice Ferment Filtrate Sake Ferment Filtrate, Lemon Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Lepidium Meyenii Root Extract, Sarcodon Aspratus Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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